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Up close with Chris Toumazis

We caught up with O&M London's Planner, Chris Toumazis, following him being named one of Campaign's Faces to Watch, a compilation of 19 of the industry's youngest, most ambitious and talented individuals.

We spoke to Chris about being selected on the prestigious list, his work with Amnesty International and his life outside of the office.

How does it feel to be selected as one of Campaign's Faces to Watch 2017?

Phenomenal. I feel so lucky to have been considered in the first place, let alone chosen!

O&M London's CSO Kevin Chesters nominated you, and spoke about your work on Amnesty International’s “Outrage Is Not Enough” campaign. Was that the highlight of your year?

That was one of the first campaigns I worked on as a planner, so it was a big one for me. I learnt so much from Kevin and the team: how to write a brief, how to work with creative teams, how to help make things happen. It was an awesome thing to be a part of, and a great campaign to cut your teeth on!

Tell us a bit about the real Chris. What keeps you busy outside the office?

I love movies, so I spend a lot of my free time at the cinema. When I was younger I dreamt of being Britain’s answer to Werner Herzog, but after an unsuccessful stint at film school, we all agreed it was best I leave that to someone else.

If I’m not at the cinema, you’ll probably find me in an Italian restaurant on my ongoing quest to find the world’s greatest calzone, or tidying up.

And what keeps you awake at night?

I started learning the piano a few years ago, and I’m pretty nervous about my looming Grade 4 exam – mostly the embarrassment of sitting in a waiting room surrounded by nine-year-olds. Otherwise I’m a relatively good sleeper, known to snooze through movies, plays, performances – you name it. I once fell asleep standing up in a pub in Edinburgh.